the thunderbolts

Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, John Walker, Alexei Shostakov, Ava Starr, Antonia Dreykov, Robert Reynolds,

Yelena Belova: Black Widow (White Widow)

Bucky Barnes: The Winter Soldier

John Walker: US Agent

Alexei Shostakov: Red Guardian

Ava Starr: Ghost

Antonia Dreykov: Taskmaster

Robert "Bob" Reynolds: Sentry/Void

Peggy Carter was frozen alongside Steve Rogers; the modern phase features a "Captain America Duo" adapting together to the 21st century, restructuring SHIELD from within, and facing Bucky's trauma as a united front.
This is how this alternate timeline would unfold:

The awakening and the pending dance

Mutual support: Upon waking up in 2011, the disorientation of the time jump is lessened by having each other. The famous phrase "I had a date" transforms into the opportunity for their first dance in 21st-century New York.

Marriage: They marry shortly after adapting to the modern era. Instead of Steve living as a solitary, out-of-touch man, they form the central couple of the Avengers: Steve as the military and moral symbol, and Peggy as the ultimate strategic mind.

The Age of SHIELD and the Avengers
Tactical Leadership: Since Peggy wasn't around to found SHIELD, the agency was created by Howard Stark and Chester Phillips. Peggy joins the modern organization alongside Steve, quickly becoming Nick Fury's right-hand woman (and biggest critic).

HYDRA Infiltration: His keen spy intuition allows him to detect irregularities in SHIELD long before, suspecting Alexander Pierce and Zola's algorithms from the start.

The Winter Soldier's Revelation:

When they discover that the HYDRA assassin is Bucky Barnes, the impact is twofold. Bucky was not only Steve's best friend, but also someone very dear to Peggy during World War II.

The rescue strategy: Instead of Steve fighting alone in hiding, Peggy uses her tactical resources to corner HYDRA and protect Bucky. While Steve tries to connect with Bucky's humanity in hand-to-hand combat, Peggy works to dismantle HYDRA's mind-control structure.

Bucky's rehabilitation: They manage to rescue Bucky earlier and take him to Wakanda or to a...

Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier (Leader): Superhuman strength, agility, and endurance thanks to the super soldier serum; indestructible vibranium cybernetic arm; expert in hand-to-hand combat and military tactics.

Yelena Belova / Black Widow: No metabolic superpowers. Olympic-level human, master spy, and lethal assassin trained in the Red Room; expert in martial arts and firearms.

John Walker / US Agent: Superhuman strength, speed, and reflexes (after applying the super soldier serum); expert tactician and skilled shield fighter.

Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian: Superhuman strength, durability, and stamina (the Soviet answer to Captain America); expert in hand-to-hand combat.

Ava Starr / Ghost: Intangibility and invisibility (able to pass through solid matter thanks to her molecular instability); melee combat and stealth.

Taskmaster (Antonia Dreykov): Photographic muscle memory (can instantly duplicate any fighting style or physical ability she observes); expert in multiple types of weapons.

Sentry (Bob Reynolds) (Key element linked to the team): Powers equivalent to "the power of a million exploding suns"; immense strength, flight, invulnerability, manipulation of energy and matter; his dark alter ego (The Void) is a cosmic threat.

The story of Bucky Barnes is that of a World War II hero transformed into a killing machine against his will, who struggles to regain his humanity.

The Hero of World War II

Born in the 1920s, James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes was Steve Rogers' best friend and protector in Brooklyn.

After enlisting in the army, he became an elite sergeant and fought alongside Captain America against Hydra.

In 1945, during a mission on a train in the Swiss Alps, he fell into an icy abyss and was presumed dead.

He survived the fall, losing his left arm. He was rescued by Hydra and the KGB, who implanted a cybernetic metal arm and administered the super-soldier serum.

He was subjected to mind control through activation phrases, eliminating his memories.

For decades, they kept him cryogenically frozen, waking him up only to carry out high-level political assassination missions (including Howard and Maria Stark) before freezing him again.

In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Steve discovers that Bucky is still alive. After a battle, Bucky's memories begin to resurface.

After being framed for an attack, Bucky is hunted. Steve fights to protect him, which ends up dividing the Avengers.

Realizing that his activation phrases are still active, Bucky voluntarily undergoes cryogenics in Wakanda until Shuri's technology manages to clear the brainwashing from his mind.

He fights alongside the Avengers as the "White Wolf" of Wakanda, where he receives his vibranium arm, but is erased by Thanos' snap.

He is restored five years later for the final battle in Avengers.

Later, Bucky confronts the guilt of his past victims, helps Sam Wilson assume the mantle of Captain America, and finally finds peace with his identity.

With his mind completely rehabilitated, he joins (and ends up leading) the team of anti-heroes recruited by Valentina

Bucky Barnes is a reserved and melancholic man of military bearing, with a personality marked by guilt and a sense of duty.

Appearance: Physical appearance and face: A muscular man with a serious look, short haircut and a thin, unkempt beard.

Cybernetic arm: Its most distinctive feature is its left vibranium arm, black/silver in color with subtle gold details (given in Wakanda).

Clothing: He usually wears dark leather tactical clothing or functional military-style jackets without ostentation.

Personality:

Reserved and serious: He is quiet, observant, and prefers to act rather than speak.

Emotional burden: He carries deep remorse for the actions he committed under Hydra brainwashing as the Winter Soldier.

Loyal and protective: He possesses an impeccable sense of duty and will defend his allies to the end.

Dry humor: He maintains a subtle and dry sarcasm, especially when interacting with louder or impulsive characters (such as Sam Wilson or John Walker).

Bucky Barnes and Bob (Sentry) have a relationship based on empathy, protection, and mutual understanding, as Bucky understands firsthand what it is like to struggle with a dark and uncontrollable side within oneself.

Empathy for trauma: Bucky deeply identifies with Bob's struggle to control the Void, comparing it to his own history of losing control as the Winter Soldier.

Protective role: Within the Thunderbolts, Bucky adopts a pragmatic leadership stance, seeking to guide and protect Bob rather than treat him as a threat.

Team support: Although the group is often chaotic, Bucky's attitude towards Bob is one of the most humane and serious, serving as an anchor to prevent Bob from mentally collapsing.

Bucky Barnes maintains a complex and pragmatic relationship with the members of the Thunderbolts, marked by prior tension, distrust towards the higher command and a deep empathy for those who were manipulated as weapons.

John Walker (US Agent): Constant rivalry and tension. Their relationship has been strained since The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Although they dislike each other and clash frequently, there is an unspoken respect for each other's fighting abilities in critical situations.

Yelena Belova: Tactical respect and pragmatism. Both share a cynical and blunt tone. Bucky respects Yelena's leadership and skills, serving as a counterweight of experience and military coolness.

Red Guardian (Alexei Shostakov): Patience and a clash of personalities. Alexei often tries to be likeable or boast about past glories (like his supposed rivalry with Captain America), while Bucky treats him with annoyance, skepticism, and comical detachment.

Ghost (Ava Starr) and Taskmaster (Antonia Dreykov): Empathy and silent understanding.

There's no major friction with them because Bucky sees himself reflected in his past: all three were victims of manipulation, mind control, or physical pain to become assassins. There's a deep understanding without needing to say much.

Valentina Allegra de Fontaine: Open distrust. Bucky perfectly understands Val's manipulative nature and political agenda, so he treats her with extreme caution and zero personal loyalty.

Human appearance: He presents himself as an ordinary-looking man, disheveled and shy, wearing a hospital gown or simple casual clothes.

Sentry's appearance: He wears a gold suit with a blue belt that has a large "S" on the buckle and a flowing blue cape. He is of imposing and muscular build.

Personality

Vulnerable and tormented: Bob suffers from anxiety, depression, and a deep panic about losing control.

Noble but fearful: He has a genuine desire to do good, but lives in terror of the Void, the dark and destructive entity that dwells within him.

Insecure: Unlike other superheroes, he does not seek glory and constantly struggles with doubt about his own mental stability.

Powers

Superhuman strength and speed: Capable of rivaling the most powerful characters in the Marvel universe.

Invulnerability and flight: Withstands devastating attacks and can fly at superlight speeds.

Molecular manipulation and energy: Generates bursts of solar energy and can reshape his own body at a molecular level, making him virtually immortal.

The Void: Its dark side projects a destructive entity capable of manipulating shadows, instilling absolute panic, and causing planetary-level devastation.

Bob Reynolds was an ordinary man (originally an addict) who broke into a laboratory and consumed an experimental super-powered serum that granted him almost godlike abilities.

The forgotten hero: He debuted protecting the world alongside the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man and the X-Men, becoming the ultimate symbol of hope.

Oblivion: He discovered that his existence created The Void, a dark and destructive entity that turned out to be the manifestation of his own mental disorders.

To save the universe from The Void, Bob used his telepathy to erase the existence of The Sentry from the minds of everyone on Earth, including himself.

The Return and the Avengers
Looking back: Years later, Bob regains his memories and enlists the help of the heroes to face The Void, once again accepting the loss of his memories in order to contain the threat.

New Avengers: After returning to the public eye, he joins the New Avengers, serving as the team's "ace in the hole" against cosmic-level threats.

The Dark Age and Siege
Manipulation by Norman Osborn: During the Dark Reign era, Norman Osborn takes advantage of Bob's fragile mental health to turn him into the main weapon of his Dark Avengers.

Fall and Death: During the invasion of Asgard (Siege), Bob completely loses control to The Void, destroying Asgard and killing heroes like Ares. He ultimately begs Thor to destroy him before he completely loses his sanity; Thor destroys him with a lightning bolt and throws his remains into the sun.

Death and Resurrections

Horseman of Death: He was later resurrected by the Apocalypse Twins as one of the Horsemen of Death.

Fusion with The Void: In later arcs, Bob manages to merge his mind with The Void to maintain a balance of power, participating in various universal events until he relinquishes or transfers the Sentry's power to new wielders in recent years.

Yelena Belova

Personality: Sarcastic, pragmatic and with a rather acidic sense of humor, but deeply loyal and emotionally vulnerable after losing Natasha.

Appearance: Functional tactical suit in gray/military tones (he usually wears his characteristic green vest full of pockets), blond hair styled in practical braids and an agile and street fighting style.

John Walker (US Agent)

Personality: Intense, impulsive, and with a deep-seated inferiority complex. He desperately seeks approval and wants to do "the right thing," but his temper and arrogance often betray him.

Appearance: Muscular and with a military bearing. He wears a variation of Captain America's suit in shades of dark blue, black, and red, with the star offset to one side of the chest and his characteristic shield.

Alexei Shostakov (Red Guardian)

Personality: Loud, extroverted, nostalgic, and extremely talkative. He's a clumsy but loving father who lives trapped in the glory of his "good old days."

Appearance: Of robust build and somewhat neglected due to years in prison; he sports a prominent beard and a rather tight-fitting red and white military suit that evokes the Soviet era.

Ava Starr (Ghost)

Personality: Distant, cautious, and quiet. Accustomed to constant pain and being used, she finds it difficult to trust others, but seeks stability and peace.

Appearance: White and gray technological containment suit with hood, equipped with a mask with red visors and visual effects of "phase-out" or quantum distortion around his body

Antonia Dreykov (Taskmaster)

Personality: Quiet, observant, and analytical. After years of brainwashing, she is learning to express her own emotions and acts with caution and uncertainty.

Appearance: Full tactical armor in dark blue and orange tones, with a futuristic skull-shaped metallic mask and a retractable shield on the arm

Alexei Shostakov (Red Guardian): The Soviet Union's answer to Captain America during the Cold War. After years of service, he was betrayed by his own government and imprisoned in a Siberian gulag, from which Yelena and Natasha rescued him. He is a father figure to Yelena; he is obsessed with regaining his glory days and feeling important again in the world of superheroes.

Ava Starr (Ghost): The daughter of a former Pym Tech scientist, she suffered a quantum accident as a child that left her in a painful state of molecular instability, allowing her to phase through solid matter. She was exploited by SHIELD and HYDRA as a tactical assassin in exchange for a promise of a cure. After being temporarily stabilized by Janet van Dyne in Ant-Man and the Wasp, she uses her abilities to survive and find a place to belong.

Antonia Dreykov (Taskmaster): Dreykov's daughter, she was severely injured as a child in a failed attack by Natasha Romanoff. Her father implanted a cybernetic chip that turned her into a killing machine capable of instantly copying any opponent's fighting style. Once freed from mind control after the fall of the Red Room, she seeks to rebuild her life and make her own decisions for the first time.

Yelena Belova (Black Widow): Kidnapped as a child, she was trained and indoctrinated in the Soviet Red Room to be an elite assassin. After breaking free from mind control thanks to her adoptive sister, Natasha Romanoff, she spent years trying to help free other Black Widows. She tries to find her own purpose in life after losing Natasha in the events of Avengers: Endgame.

John Walker (US Agent): A decorated Special Forces soldier chosen by the US government to be the "new Captain America." Overwhelmed by the pressure and after losing his partner, he injected himself with an imperfect super-soldier serum and executed an enemy in public, losing his title. Recruited by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, he seeks to prove he is still a useful hero, even if his methods are impulsive and aggressive.